With one year to go until the 2020 Presidential Election, NBC News Political Director Chuck Todd breaks down what to look out for.
Here's What to Look Out for Before Election Day 2020
CHUCK TODD, anchor:
I’m Chuck Todd, NBC News political director and moderator of Meet the Press.
It’s November, the leaves are golden, Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and we’re officially one year away from Decision 2020.
But if it seems like you’ve already been hearing a lot of buzz about candidates, campaigns, and caucuses, well, you have.
The Democratic candidates competing to see who will take on President Donald Trump in the general election have been hard at work- visiting state fairs already, holding rallies, and hitting the debate stage. In fact, primary debates have already been held in June, July, September, and October. We got two more this year, one in November and one in December.
Looking further ahead, put a big star on the months of February and March.
The first real tests for Democratic candidates will be FOR the Iowa Caucuses on February 3rd, the day after the Super Bowl, followed very quickly by the New Hampshire Primary on February 11th.
Super Tuesday, it's a big day when 14 different states WILL have their primaries that's on March 3.
And then the final primaries of the year are going to be in June, and by then, we might have a clear picture of who the Democratic nominee will be. I say might because this year could be different.
But in the summer, the campaign trail will heat up with both major parties hosting their official political conventions.
The Democratic National Convention starts on July 13th in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, that's a crucial midwestern battleground state that both parties will be trying to win. It's at that convention that will sort out who is the Democratic nominee if we don't know already.
Then the Republican National Convention will start on August 24th in Charlotte, North Carolina. North Carolina is another potential swing state.
Now, once the conventions are over, it’s a full-on sprint to the finish line. You’ll see a lot of campaign rallies and big speeches right up to the big day- November 3, 2020.
Be sure to check back in monthly with NBC News Learn for more stories from the campaign trail and explainers on how this process works.